Project Rush
by XxxAnimaniacxxX
Summary: "I need a team, and these are the right pieces to fit the puzzle. Gather them up, convince them to join this, alliance of sorts." Kames, cargan and some other pairings too, maybe. In a way, a mix of Avengers Assemble and Big Time Superheroes!
1. Chapter 1

**A new story, based on the movie Avengers Assemble! I got the idea when I was watching Big Time Superheroes and I was like "Hey, there are six of them . . . like the avengers!" and thus, the idea was born. Gustavo was going to be one of the six, but then I changed my mind and decided to make him like Nick Fury instead. ****I'm aware that some of the superheroes will have changed, please don't hate me for it! ****Hope you like this first chapter!**

Building up a team of heroes was tougher than it sounded.

They say you learn something new every day. That was Gustavo's.

He was going through every file he had on every so-called 'superhero' in the world, trying to choose who would be best. This 'Project Rush' as his supervisors called it didn't just depend on their abilities either. He had to know they would work together, and that all their powers together would be useful to him. And it really wasn't as simple as he'd expected.

"I think six would do the trick," he said to his coworker, agent Lucy Stone. "We could always add on if we needed more. But I think six would be a good number."

"And you're not just saying that because it's printed on the wall over there?" Lucy asked with a smirk. Section 6 was painted in thick font up on the concrete wall.

"Not at all," Gustavo replied with a roll of his eyes. "Ok . . . so say I take him and her, I think they'd do a good job. Then if I take him . . . no, he's no good . . . these two!"

"Is this just like a game to you?"

"Do you wanna make yourself useful?" Gustavo snapped. "Send a car for Bandana Man. I want him here, now."

"Can't he just fly? No?"

"Absolutely not! This is LA, how many people will see him? And before you say it, I don't just mean visibility-wise. We're going to do this subtlety, because if Hawk is watching—"

"I get it. I'll send a car."

* * *

James Diamond was escorted quickly into the building, in the hopes that nobody would recognise him. But it was unlikely; right now he just looked like an ordinary 27-year-old man, walking with his head hanging low, shoulders stopped slightly. He was quickly led to Section 6, and pushed into the office Gustavo was currently sitting in. "Hey, Mr Rocque," he greeted with a tired smile. "You sent for me?"

"Take a seat, James. I have something we need to discuss."

James sat across from Gustavo, arms folded over his briefcase. "What is it?"

"We have an enemy, James." When James said nothing, Gustavo continued. "He's been laying low for years, but now he's back in action and whatever he's up to, it won't be good for anyone. We don't know how far he's gone, or if he has any allies, but chances are he will pretty soon. We don't know what, we don't know why, but we do know who."

"Who?"

"So what I need," Gustavo continued, ignoring the question, "Is somebody who can defend the world against him, someone who can put his plans on hold, or even destroy them completely. Preferably the latter."

"So, is that why you called?" James asked. "You want me?"

"This is what I want," Gustavo instructed, holding out a closed file. He set it down on the table and opened it up. He picked up the first document, slamming it down in front of James. "Slapshot!"

James picked up the file and glanced through it. A black and white photo that was pretty bad quality, along with a load of information on the superhero. Or 'trained assassin,', as was printed on the page.

Gustavo was already continuing. "The Surgeon!" Another file slammed down in front of him. "Latin Thunder!" Seriously . . .? "Agent Stark!" A woman. Hmm. "And Empath!" The last file. James had heard of all these people. Some were genetically mutated, others had just gone through years of hardcore training to get to this.

"So, what do you want me to do with these?" James asked, picking up the files and sliding them into his briefcase.

"Well, I want you to go . . . collect them for me," Gustavo replied. "Gather them up. I need a team, and these are the right pieces to fit the puzzle. Gather them up, convince them to join this, alliance of sorts. Gently persuade them. And if that doesn't work, knock them out and drag them by the hair. I need this team, and I need them now!"

The last yell caused James to recoil in his seat. His poor ears . . . "Fine. Who should I go for first?"

"Hmm . . ." Gustavo had to ponder this for a moment or two. "Well, I suppose it's a matter of who's closest." He picked up his Blackberry and started to type quickly into it. "Slapshot is carrying out an interrogation on the outskirts of the city. I'm sending you the address right now. I'd be subtle if I were you; he doesn't like to be interrupted."

"Got it." James stood up, shutting his briefcase and picking it up.

* * *

Having made himself invisible, James carefully crawled along the roof of the warehouse, towards the large window that covered half of it. Crawling carefully so he was kneeling on the strong glass, he rested his hands down on it and looked down into the room. A portion of the window next to him was already broken, a large gap in the glass, so he could hear what was going on. He was glad of his invisibility, because it'd be bad enough if someone looked up and saw a random guy looking in on the situation. What would happen if Bandana Man was spotted? Bad things, that's what.

Especially with what was going in there.

The room was massive, even from what James could see of it. He saw a large square hole near the middle, which he guessed was probably used for dropping goods down into the basement or something. He couldn't see the floor inside it, so it was either just dark or a really steep drop. Either way it'd be a nasty fall.

At the very edge of the hole, the back legs only a couple inches away from the edge, was a wooden chair. There was someone sitting in it, their hands tied behind it. Someone dressed in what looked sort of like a black leather catsuit with shoulder pads and a few others. Someone who had to be Slapshot. James was surprised to see him there. There were three other men in the room. One was wearing a suit and standing the closet to Slapshot, and the other two were dressed in black and standing a good bit away. Henchmen, obviously.

When the one in the suit strode over to Slapshot and slapped him across the cheek, the sound rang out and James himself flinched.

As he continued to observe this scene through the window, he noticed two things.

One. This sure looked more like a hostage situation than an interrogation from where he was.

And two?

Slapshot was damn _gorgeous!_

He sat there in the chair, chest heaving with every breath he took. He had a small and lithe body, with pale skin, as far as he could tell. A head of honey blonde hair that seemed to he hanging over his forehead and into his eyes a little. His eyes were bright—maybe blue? Green?—and wide as he stared up at his captors. He looked scared, poor thing. James just hated seeing pretty things under stress. It was like a puppy being locked up in its kennel. Or something.

"You don't seem to be resisting to much," Slapshot's captor said, and James guessed he was probably smiling. He had hold of Slapshot's chair and was bending it backwards, over the large hole. Slapshot's eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to calm his breathing, and James could see his shoulders twitching slightly. He wondered why. "You're weak! You're not even trying!"

The man's henchmen chuckled as the man bent the chair further back, before tugging it back forward and giving Slapshot another sharp—well, slap—across the face. Slapshot recoiled a little, one of his cheeks now bright red. "I suppose Slapshot is just another pretty face. Am I correct?"

James was seriously thinking he should intervene. But then Slapshot shook his head a little as if to clear it and said, "You would be correct. I'd return the compliment, but I believe in brute honesty."

James smirked. So he was funny too. He was liking him more already.

Then Slapshot's foot snapped up and he kicked the man right in the groin. And as he groaned and doubled over, he delivered a sharp headbutt to his temple and knocked him to the floor. His henchmen were dashing forward to subdue him, but already the 'hostage' was leaping to his feet and kicking one square in the chest, his hands freed; James guessed that must have been what he was doing the whole time. He punched the other right in the jaw before grabbing his arm and flipping him over, smashing his body off the floor and on top of the other.

James closed his fist and created a little energy ball. Then he smashed his fist off the window, breaking the glass into a million pieces. Instantly, as he was leaping down into the room, Slapshot was diving out of the way of the falling glass, one hand grabbing at the table by the wall which held his weapons. James landed on the floor, still unseen to Slapshot. He couldn't help smiling as the blonde walked into the centre of the room, looking around for whatever had smashed the window.

"That was impressive," James commented with a smile. "Doesn't your head hurt?"

Slapshot looked around, eyes wide. He was holding something in his hand, that looked like it was made of wood. It looked like a hockey stick, but smaller. It looked a little like a wonky boomerang. in his other hand he held a long silver knife. "Where are you?" he demanded, looking more annoyed than afraid.

"In this room," James replied with a chuckle, firing an energy ball at the chair Slapshot had previously been sitting in and smashed it to bits. Ok, so maybe five minutes ago he'd been thinking of saving Slapshot, but he couldn't resist playing with him a little. He was only genetically mutated human, after all.

Slapshot stared with wide eyes. Then he looked right at the spot where James was standing. Then he shut his eyes, lips parting as he took a few deep breaths. James suddenly wondered if he himself should be breathing so loudly. Then Slapshot opened his eyes and at the same time flung the boomerang right in James's direction. James had to duck out of the way quickly before it probably sliced him in two. He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds, bringing his visibility back. Then when he opened his eyes again, he saw Slapshot over by the table, slightly bent over in that nice leather suit and stuffing his weapons back into various pouches and compartments.

"Now I know who you are," Slapshot commented, picking up a second boomerang and tucking them both into a strap on his back. Then he picked up a long piece of black fabric before turning around to face James. "Bandana Man. Invisibility. Clever." He held the fabric up to his face—it was a mask—and tied it around the back of his head, giving himself a Zoro/Superspy kind of look. He smiled at James, a little dimple appearing in each cheek and making him look a lot more normal. "That's a lot of purple. Kind of flamboyant, don't you think?"

"Hey, it compliments my skin tone!" James protested. The colour of his bandanas was always a sensitive issue.

"Whatever." Slapshot strode over to the wall and picked up the coil of rope hanging there, before walking over to the henchmen. "You're just making excuses now. What are you doing here anyway? I don't like being interrupted."

James scowled at him as he tied the men up. He may have seen sexy, but he was pretty obnoxious. Dumb assassin. "Hey, I was coming in to help you! You know, assist you in that dire situation where you were tied in a chair and being slapped around? Yeah, no need to thank me."

"You came in a little late," Slapshot fired back. "And anyway, I didn't need saving. I was interrogating them. Got everything I needed, actually." To James's surprise (and joy) Slapshot reached up and tugged the zipper of his suit down, revealing his pale chest and showing something stuck very firmly to the inside of his suit. "Voice recorder. Sometimes my memory escapes me. I don't know when you got here, but you probably missed all the juicy bits." He pushed a button on the side of the recorder and zipped his suit back up. "You see, when you're like me, you can't just use any purple powers or just disappear. You have to get inside on your own, and this was my method. Simple as."

"You got kidnapped, _on purpose?_"

"Uh huh. It's not that weird, Bandana Man. It's a method used many times before. I don't have any genetic mutations to help me." He paused. "So, what are you really doing here? Nobody knew where I was except for my supervisors."

"Well, one of your supervisors informed me of your location. Gustavo Rocque."

"Hmm." Slapshot frowned. "I haven't spoken to him in months, how did he know?"

"No idea. But he sent me here to collect you."

"Collect me?"

"Gustavo wants to form a team, I guess. That's what he said. A team of heroes, and he sent me to gather them up. You were first on the list."

"A team, huh?" Slapshot bit his lip, looking very thoughtful. "What's in it for me?"

"I dunno. The world? Because with what I can gather from what Gustavo told me, it'll be gone if he doesn't get his team to save it. But he didn't tell me what we were up against." He smiled a little. "So of course, I can understand if you're afraid to fight—"

"You're pushing my buttons." Slapshot smirked. "I like that."

"Oh, do you now?"

"I do. So, I guess I will. Join the team. It'll be fun." He stepped up closer to James and held out one hand. "Well, since we're official 'teammates' now, why don't we move on to our names? Mine's Kendall Knight."

James shook his hand with a smile. "James Diamond." He paused. "How did you know where to throw that thing?"

"Oh, I could hear you breathing," Kendall replied with a smile. "You should work on that."

"What is it, anyway? It looked like a hockey stick."

"Well, there's a little of my back story in that explanation, so I'd rather not share right now. How did you get here?"

"I flew."

"Ah, I see." Kendall reached into a pouch in his belt and took out a little phone that looked about half the size of normal one. He typed a quick message and then slid it back in its place. "Well, if we're going to gather up this team, we'll need transportation."

Only a minute or two later, James heard the sound of a helicopter engine outside. "Wow, good service."

Kendall chuckled, nodding. "Mind giving me a hand up?"

James got Kendall up through the window and onto the roof, before following him up to see a rope ladder dangling down from the helicopter, Kendall immediately hopping up and beginning to climb. James just chose to fly up instead. When they were both seated comfortably and the helicopter was shutting, Kendall turned to James, "These guys need directions. So where are we going?"

James reached under his belt and pulled out his phone, looking through the documents he'd scanned in. "NYC. The Surgeon."

Kendall grinned. "Excellent."

**Welp, hope you like this so far! Please review! XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**I dislike this chapter, but you might not. At least two more have joined the Project Rush team! Silver lining! XD**

"We're here, men."

James peeked out the window of the car. The Palmwoods Hospital stood tall in front of him. He turned to glance at Kendall, who was currently buttoning up his blazer. James could see a knife attached to the inside of it. James had been stuffed into relatively formal clothing too, and wondered why. "Are we meant to be like, spies or something?" he asked Kendall.

"If you wanna call it that. We can't just barge in and yell 'Come with us and save the universe!' We need subtlety." Kendall looked up and smiled at the driver. "Thanks, Steve. We'll be out soon enough."

They got out of the car and walked into the hospital reception. "Have you ever worked with The Surgeon before?" James hissed under his breath.

"I've met him once, but considering we don't work in the same division, of sorts . . . I work with spies, not superheroes."

"Oh." James didn't really know what to say. He looked at the massive round reception desk. There were at least three receptionists there. He was surprised to see Kendall walk straight up to a geeky-looking male one, but followed him quickly.

"Hiya," Kendall chirped at him, sounding so different that James could only gawp at him. "We're here to see Dr Logan Mitchell? Can you tell me where his office is?"

The man looked up at him, cheeks turning pink at the attention. "Um, do you have an appointment with him?"

"Yeah, of course!" Kendall replied. "But it's personal, it might not be in records. Of you have them, I dunno. I've been here a couple times before, don't you remember me?" Damn, the way his lips pouted and his eyes got all big and sparkly . . . he was an expert at this.

"Um, n-no," the receptionist stuttered. "I-I haven't worked here very long . . ."

"Oh, I see. I guess that explains it. I'm sure I'd remember you." Kendall winked at him with a sweet smile and a giggle. "So, can we go see Logan now? I don't mean to bother you or anything but it is kind of important . . ."

"Of c-course!" the receptionist replied immediately, giving him a big smile. "Second floor, you go down the hall and it's the third office on your left. His name's on the door and all."

"Thank you!" Kendall replied with a grin, before taking James by the arm and leading him away, giving the man a flirty wave as they walked towards the elevators.

"Wow," James whistled as the doors slid shut. They were the only two there, and as soon as the doors closed Kendall's sugar-sweet smile vanished. "You are one manipulative blondie, aren't you?"

Kendall shrugged. "You have to be to get your way. You know half of us in the Agency could win an Oscar if we wanted to. We need to be able for this, or we're not much use at all."

They left the elevator and walked down the hallway, towards the office that said 'Dr Logan Mitchell, Diagnostics Unit' on it.

Kendall knocked briskly on the door.

"Come in!" came the call from the other side.

Kendall and James walked inside. Dr Logan Mitchell was sitting at his desk, examining some files and making notes. He looked up and frowned. "Do . . . do I know you?"

"Not me," James replied as he closed the door firmly behind them. "At least, not without my bandanas."

"You know me," Kendall added before Logan could say anything. He pulled an ID out of his blazer pocket. "Agent Kendall Knight, CIA."

"Oh yeah! You're . . ." Logan lowered his voice slightly. "You're Slapshot, right?"

"That's me. So listen." Kendall sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk, James sitting in the one next to him. "Gustavo Rocque sent us here."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"We don't have all that information yet. But what we know is that the CIA want a team put together to fight for them, and you're in the list of desirables."

"So, are you in?" James added.

Logan frowned at them, a battle clearly going on behind his big brown eyes. He glanced down at the desk. "I have my work here," he said softly. "Being a doctor is everything to me. I can't just leave for a few weeks, what if I lose my job?"

"I'll have someone come in tomorrow and take care of it, give an excuse to your boss," Kendall replied immediately.

"But, I—"

"Come on, Logan." James had never heard Kendall speak like this; it wasn't obnoxious, or flirty or even friendly. It was just gentle. "I swear, it'll be fine. But we really, really need you on the team. Otherwise Gustavo wouldn't have picked you."

"I don't know . . ."

"I promise when you come back here, you'll have your job."

"How do I know I'll be coming back?"

The question caught James and Kendall off guard. Logan's eyes blazed. "How do I know how dangerous this 'enemy' is, how do I know I'll be getting out of this alive?"

There was silence for a second. Then Kendall reached out a hand and placed it on top of Logan's squeezing it gently. "Logan, I promise you'll come back. I'll make sure you do." He looked Logan directly in the eye. "When I make a promise, I never break it. Ever."

James could see the desperation in Kendall's eyes, and he knew Logan probably could too. Because he nodded. "Ok."

"Great!" Kendall hopped up, back to his old self. "There's a car waiting for us outside."

Logan grabbed a notepad and scribbled down a quick note, leaving it on he desk. He picked up his jacket. "Ok, I'm ready. Let's get going."

They left Logan's office and walked back to the elevator, James pushing the button quickly. "Don't draw any attention to yourself," Kendall instructed Logan as they stepped inside and the doors slid shut. "No dramatic goodbyes, no yelling, no waving, no nothing. Got it?"

"Jeez," James whistled. "Go easy on him, he's worried about losing his job."

"Shut up!" Kendall snapped. "This is business."

Then the elevator opened and Kendall's expression once again changed dramatically. Back to that sweetie pie look that James was seriously confused by. They walked through reception, and as they were passing the desk a voice—slightly more confident this time—called them. "Hey!"

They turned around to see the secretary smiling at them, still looking a little nervous. He was looking right at Kendall, cheeks pink again. "M-maybe I'll see you around? When you come back here?"

Kendall shrugged, giving him an adorable grin. "Maybe." He gave a little wink before turning and making his way towards the door.

James watched him, sighing. Logan walked up behind him, smirking. "Well, you picked a good one."

James turned to stare at him. "Huh?" He prayed he wasn't blushing.

"Tough to catch, though," Logan continued, still grinning. "I bid you good luck. You'll probably need it."

* * *

Carlos Garcia aka Latin Thunder, owned a massive corporate business, though he didn't do much work for it. He mostly sat in his office and gave instructions. And of course, saved the city of Orlando from mass destruction. As James thought about it, he realised that Carlos was the only one of the six Gustavo wanted that was famous, and known by both his names. So he was pretty famous and popular around here. There were action figures, posters, even lunch boxes of Latin Thunder. And Carlos probably adored every second of it. How could he not?

"Ok, this is it." Kendall led them down to the street to the massive, tall glass building. "So, let's go over the plan again."

"Do not threaten any form of violence or force!" Logan chirped, obviously proud now to be part of this.

"Great!"

"It seems a very short plan," James pointed out, chuckling.

Kendall shrugged. "I don't really make plans often. I normally work alone. And when I'm in a group I'm usually telling people what to do."

"Well then!" James smirked, looking at Logan with a chuckle. "Guess we know where we stand, right?"

Logan laughed. "We sure do!"

Kendall sighed. James smirked.

Then Kendall smirked too, and James worried.

"Here, James," Kendall said sweetly. "I'll let you take care of this one yourself. We'll see just how cut out you are for spy work."

"But what if I do something wrong?" James asked, panicked as Kendall pushed him towards the doors. "Then won't everything be ruined?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, babe. Now, the important thing is to act calm."

James was anything but calm, though he couldn't help smirking. "You called me babe."

"It's an affectionate term, James!" Kendall sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, so you feel affectionate towards me?" James asked, chuckling.

"I won't for long! Now shut up and do your job!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"James grinned as they walked inside the doors. Though now he wasn't feeling so smug. What if he totally messed this up?

Well, too late to back out. A woman in a fancy pantsuit was already walking over to them. "Good afternoon, can I help you?"

"We're here to see Carlos," James said matter-of-factly. "It's CIA business."

"Oh yeah?" Her eyebrows rose. "Who sent you here?"

"Gustavo Rocque," James replied, keeping firm eye contact with her.

"Hmm. Never heard of him. And anyway, any agent looking to speak with Mr Garcia would've contacted me first," she said, a little smugly.

Shit. James panicked.

"She's bluffing."

James turned to see Kendall turn from him to the woman. He showed her his ID. "Look, I'm only gonna say this once. You can let us in to see Carlos now, or we'll come back with a whole squad of CIA agents, armed with guns and all, and we'll escort him out of here by force. You could save us all these complications by letting us into his office. What's it gonna be?"

The woman looked very annoyed, which James resisted the urge to smile at. "Fine. Follow me."

She turned and walked down the hallway. As Kendall, James and Logan followed her, James could swear he saw Kendall wink at him. "How did I do?" he whispered.

"Pretty good for a first try," Kendall replied with a smirk. "I guess I can teach you."

"What happened to the plan?" Logan demanded, also in a whisper.

"Well, I didn't think we would have to forget about that. Only, we did."

The woman stopped and knocked on the large wooden doors, before opening them. "Mr Garcia," she called. "I have some visitors to see you."

"I'm busy, Stephanie," came the reply.

"They're from the CIA!" Stephanie added. "It's important! Apparently . . ."

"Oh, fine! Send them in!"

Stephanie moved aside to let them walk in, and they did, first Kendall, then James, then Logan. They all stopped in surprise to see Gustavo Rocque sitting in the chair in front of Carlos's desk. "Gustavo!" Logan exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"That's Mr Rocque to you, dog," Gustavo snapped. Then his expression changed as he beamed at Kendall. "Hello, Kendall," he greeted fondly. And with a touch too much enthusiasm. "Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too, sir," Kendall grinned, waving at him and smiling sweetly. James glared.

"So, what are you doing here?" he asked accusingly.

"Oh, I figured Carlos might take a little convincing. Plus you were taking so long with The Surgeon, I decided to just come here myself!"

"We did have to travel from New York, you know," James snapped, but Kendall lifted a hand up to quieten him down.

"He's right, James. The less time we take, the better. It won't happen again, boss."

Gustavo grinned. "Knew I could count on you."

"So, anyway!" Carlos spoke up for the first time. He was looking right at James and seemed to sense his annoyance. "I say we make a move right away. Mila Stark is next, am I right?"

"Nah, don't worry about her," Kendall smiled. "I'll give her a call, she can meet us at Empath's place. Where does she live again? You've got the documents, haven't you?"

Then James realised Kendall was talking to him. "Oh yeah, I do! We'll take a look. I think she lives in Minneapolis, though."

"Minnesota?" Kendall was frowning, looking at the floor. James didn't get why.

"I don't get why you didn't go for her before me," Logan said, staring at James with raised eyebrows.

James smiled sheepishly. "Um, neither do I. You were next on the list . . .?"

Kendall started smiling again, looking back up at James. "You've still got a bit to learn." He turned to Gustavo. "I guess we should get going?"

"Yeah, go. Thing is, lately there's been some strange activity going on in Minnesota. Suspicious stuff, you know the sort. Go geared up, got it? We'll send you there in a helicopter, just on the outskirts of the city, and then you can drive in. Got it?"

"Got it," the four voices chorused.

**Omg, this chapter is awful. I really hate it. DX but there will be improvement! There's gonna be some action and stuff, and Camille and Kelly (Mila, Empath) will be in it! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**New chapter! Sorry it's been so long. Still a terrible chapter. Hehe...**

James had to admit, he felt pretty fantastic hopping down from a CIA helicopter and onto the roof of Empath's apartment building in Minneapolis. His cloak blowing in the wind; he was majestic, tall, strong—

Until the direction of the 'dramatic wind' changed and his cloak flew over his face.

"Stop playing around, James!" Kendall scolded, frowning at him as he fumbled to take the cloak off from over his head.

"Okay guys, listen." Dak was stepping out of the helicopter, the silence around them suddenly very eerie after he switched the engine off. "We sent agents in here as we were on our way; the security cameras on your route down to Empath's apartment are off. They didn't want anybody seeing you like this." He gave a sigh. "I can't really think of a valid reason for you guys to even be going around dressed like this, but . . ."

"Hey, you never know," Carlos chuckled, slapping him on the shoulder and leaving a burned patch in the fabric of his jacket. "Oops."

Dak sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay. Down you go. I'll be waiting here."

"Is that not a bit conspicuous?" Logan asked.

"It'll be fine, just go!"

Down to the stairs they went, going their instructed route to where Empath lived. James found that it probably would've been easier for her to come and meet them. But this kinda feel kinda cool and exciting.

Daily life of a superhero. Haha . . . ha.

Kendall knocked on Empath's door, only for it to fall open on impact. He frowned at the others. "That's weird."

Carlos just pushed past him and walked into the apartment, looking around. It was completely empty. Nothing was out of place. But James still didn't really like standing there in the middle of the floor. It felt very exposed.

"Something is off here," Logan said thoughtfully. "I don't know what it is . . . I just—"

_CRASH!_

The window of the apartment smashed, the four men diving to the floor and taking cover. They barely managed to crawl away from the wall before it exploded, rubble and concrete flying across the room. Kendall and James were hidden behind the couch, Kendall with his hands over his ears, James with one hand holding onto Kendall's suit. Kendall only just realised and batted his hand away, reaching for one of the many weapons in his belt. A handgun, it looked like. Though obviously James couldn't be sure . . . could've been some spy shit he'd never heard of.

Kendall glanced over at James. "Change, will you?" he hissed. "They're up there right now."

James, confused, glanced around the couch. Then shrieked when a fireball missed him by a millimetre. He shut his eyes and focused on his invisibility, opening his eyes and smiling when Kendall nodded in his direction. Then another fireball flew towards them and struck the couch, setting it up in high flames. Kendall leaped away, immediately shooting at whoever was attacking them. James jumped up with him, as did Carlos and Logan.

There were three of them. Well, four, if you counted Empath. Her eyes were blank. Empty. Brainwashed. Still, not something James would've been shocked to see. Then there were three girls. One with fireballs hovering over the palms of her hands. Another holding two long metal swords, blue lighting sizzling over the tips. And a third had a glowing red aura surrounding her. Something very off-putting.

The blonde girl conjured up more fire in her hands, eyes narrowed as she selected a target. The fireball she fung straight at Logan was deflected when Carlos leaped in front of him and threw his own back, the two flames clashing with a loud hiss, sparks flying across the room. Shielding his face from the blinding glow, James turned to see Kendall just casually—as you do—in the middle of fighting off that girl with the swords, with only his hands and feet. And he was pretty good at it too; very quick and agile as his hand snapped forward and slammed into the girl's inner elbow. James had no idea how any of this stuff worked, but somehow her hand just spasmed and the sword slipped frm her fingers. Kendall stood with his feet apart and his hands up, one holding his little spy-gun-thing as he waited for her next move.

But then suddenly Empath showed up, so close to James that he almost got a heart-attack and had to stop himself from shrieking. He watched as she lifted her hand and closed it into a fist, staring directly at Kendall and focusing all her attention on him. James was about to just shove her over or something when he was immediately distracted by a voice crying out in agony. He turned to look, protective instincts instantly alet.

Kendall screamed in pain, face scrunching up in agony as his hand trembled, struggling to hold onto his weapon. Empath's eyes narrowed and her fist clenched, and Kendall fell to his knees, hands on his head, pulling at his hair as he quivered in pain, his gun dropped on the floor. James's eyes widened as the girl with the swords strode towards him, one of her weapons raised high, jaw clenched. James was creating a ball of energy in his hands and flinging it in her direction before she could take another step. _Stay the fuck away from my spy-bitch, bitch._

The girl crashed into the wall and fell to the floor, her weapons flung aside as she fell. James hurried over and helped Kendall up, picking up his weird spy-gun-thing and pressing it into his hand. "You okay?" he asked quickly.

Kendall nodded, turning and smiling at him, even though he was still invisible. Then he pulled another weapon from his belt and shot the girl with the swords. Just like that. Then he put the little gun away and turned back to the other girls. "Maybe we should take down that glowing one?" Right now all three of the remaining opponents were battling it out with Carlos and Logan, Carlos flinging fireballs back and forth with the blonde girl while Logan tried to help him by bringing sparking wires from the ceiling and flinging them all over the place. James really didn't understand how his abilities worked.

"If you can distract her, I'll knock her out," Kendall intsructed, taking his smaller gun out again.

"Ohh! So that's what that does! I thought you just—"

"Distraction!"

"Right, right—"

James flung a ball of energy at the glowing girl, hoping he would miss and distract her. Only instead he hit her right in the face and she crashed into the wall, looking dazed and confused.

"You're an idiot," Kendall sighed, shooting the girl in the arm and leaving there there to sleep.

"Well, I distracted her! You've gotta give me credit for that!"

Kendall rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say—"

"DUCK!" James yanked Kendall down towards the floor as a fireball flew past right where their heads had been, setting a nearby pair of curtains on fire. Kendall crashed down half on top of James, knocked breathless.

"You're not invisible anymore," was all he said, gazing down at James with wide eyes.

James couldn't help smirking. "Glad to see I've made some progress, Slapshot."

Kendall sighed, hopping to his feet just in time to see Empath being flung against a wall, landing on the floor and holding her head, eyes tightly shut. "Well, somebody took care of that for us. Only one left."

"Yeah, the fire-breathing blondie." James grinned. "If you had long hair and C-cups it'd be you, Kendall!"

"Shut up!"

Suddenly, a chair flew across the room in the direction of the last girl. She dived to the floor as it smashed into the wall behind her, before getting up, grabbing her two companions and leaping out through the hole in the wall. James sprinted over to see where she'd gone, only to find that the three of them had vanished without a trace. "What the . . .?"

"Hey!" Empath was standing up, looking around with wide eyes. "What the fuck did you do to my apartment?!"

"I think the better question is, what did those three hot but scary chicks do to you?" Carlos asked, frowning as he stared at Empath's face closely. "Your eyes have changed again."

"What are you on about?"

Ignoring this whole argument/interrogation, Kendall glanced around at the apartment door and grinned. "Now I know who threw the chair. I just thought it was James deciding to act irrationally again—"

"Hey!" Frowning, James looked towards the door too. There was a young woman standing there, dressed in what looked like thick black tights, black boots and a white coat. She had long curly dark hair, and held some kind of walking-stick with a gold handle in one hand, swing it playfully as she walked over to them. And James suddenly realised who she was. "Mila Stark?"

Mila nodded. "You know me? Though I guess I know you. The purple guy with all the gay bandanas."

"They're not gay!"

Kendall gave Mila a hug, laughing. "I've missed you! We were gonna come looking for you next! How'd you find us?"

"I've been hanging around in the area for a while, sent here to keep an eye on things. Then I just, y'know, heard about the exploded apartment." Mila shrugged, smirking ar him. "What do you mean, looking for me? Couldn't get enough?"

"Shut up you, I don't swing that way."

_AHA! So he's gay! My chances just went up about 2% . . ._

"We were actually gonna see if you were interested in joining our . . . team?" Kendall glanced at James. "Does this thing even have a name?"

"Let's call ourselves the murder squad!" Carlos cheered.

Logan rolled his eyes. "Are you five?"

"It's called Project Rush," James told them all. "That's what Gustavo told me."

"Project Rush?" Empath frowned, walking over to him. "They shut that down years ago. It failed completely."

"Well, I guess they're trying it again. Maybe it won't fail this time."

"And maybe I'm the Queen of Sheba," Empath snapped.

"I'm in," Mila said immediately, grinning. "I haven't had any fun like this in months!"

"What about you, your Majesty?" Logan asked sarcastically, glancing at Empath.

Empath shrugged. "As long as I get a new place to live afterwards—"

Suddenly they heard police sirens outside. "Shit!" Carlos groaned. "Now what?"

"We go to the roof," Kendall replied. "Dak'll be there and take us out of here. What are we meant to do now that we're all together?" He turned to James.

James shrugged. "Go back to Headquartes, I guess? And see what Gustavo wants us to do?"

"Sounds like a plan," Logan commented, chuckling.

Out of the apartment they ran and up the steps towards the roof. Only a second after they stepped out onto the concrete, they heard the deafening sound of a CIA helicopter starting up. The door opened up on the side and a blonde man poked his head out; Dak's co-worker, Tad. "Come on!" he called.

Kendall was the first to run over, quick to react as usual. Everyone else followed after, and the door slid shut.

"I never did introduce myself," Mila smiled at the other five sitting next to her. "The name's Camille Roberts."

"I'm Kelly Wainwright," Empath added.

"We can all be like best buddies now," Carlos commented sarcastically, leaning back. "Oh, joy."

**This will get better now they're actually all together. Hopefully :P review?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Enjoy! :P**

"We're not spies," Logan scowled. "Why can't you get the CIA to do that work?"

James gave a sigh, leaning back in the large, comfortable chair of this conference room they were sitting in. They'd been here for twenty minutes tops. He hadn't seen Gustavo Rocque yet, just his associates. And they were now being told what their first 'order' was. He didn't exactly have a huge problem with this like Logan did. He'd just assumed a little that since they were supposed to be the special superheroes so desperately needed, they should be the ones calling the shots.

But obviously not.

"Look, Mitchell," Lucy Stone snapped, completely unfazed by his anger. "We want you all up front. Thing is, when one person hears a story and passes it on to another, it can be changed. Even if a little, that's enough. I don't see what your problem is with this, it's now like your abilities won't be put to good use. Plus, these two—" She pointed to where Kendall and Camille were sitting together, "—both have experience in this line of work. They'll help instruct you on what moves you need to make."

Logan just sighed, folding his arms. "Alright. Where are we going first?"

"You're staying here, in LA. We picked up a message that there's gonna be a man in the city tonight, meeting with a potential ally for Hawk. We don't know who he's meeting with, but the guy's name is Wayne Dooley." She slammed a photo down on the table for them all to see. "He's got a record. Not for anything too drastic, most likely he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anyway, we wanna catch him and find out what he knows. That's what we're relying on you to do."

"We won't let you down," Camille promised.

_Speak for yourself,_ James couldn't help thinking. _So far, we haven't exactly been a super dream team, have we?_

* * *

James glanced over at Kendall. The blonde was now a brunette, with a golden tan over his formerly pale skin. Still looked hot. But the pale blondeness was a better look for him, definitely.

"Are we ready?" Camille asked, her hair securely done up in a short black wig.

"I am," Carlos said, zipping up his shiny red jacket over his chest. Everyone else was too, so the six of them got themselves equipped before heading out to the car. Dak drove them in, but parked at least a block away from where the club was. "Can't take you any further than this," he explained. "You've gotta look like you belong once you get closer."

So the six of them left the black car and stood out on the sidewalk, laughter and loud voices echoing around them. "These heels suck," Kelly whined, looking extremely uncomfortable in her wedges. "I won't be able to run in these."

"Hopefully, you won't have to run," Logan replied, giving a grim smile.

The six of them walked down the street, Camille and Kendall walking arm in arm and talking with loud voices, laughing and totally at ease. James guessed it was all for show, and it was pretty convincing. He decided to give it a try and turned to Carlos, offering a charming grin. "So . . ."

"I also think all that purple is gay," Carlos shot back, chuckling and nudging James with his shoulder, before moving on to walk next to Logan. James hurried after them, sighing. Maybe he could do with a colour change after all . . .

"We'll go into pairs until we find this guy," Kendall instructed once they made it in past the bouncer. "We've all seen his picture."

"I'll go with Carlos," Logan said immediately, the Latino flashing him a delighted smile.

"I'll go with James," Kendall said. "Then Camille can go with Kelly."

"You just can't stay away, can you?" James teased.

"No." Kendall gave an exasperated sigh. "I need to keep an eye on you, that's why."

"Oh. That's less appealing."

"Come on," Kendall ordered, taking his arm and leading him away from the others.

They wandered through the club for a little while, squeezing in and out between large groups of dancing adults. More than once James felt someone's hand smack against his ass or crotch. Ad sadly it was never Kendall. Though at one point, he did manage to reach out and give the blonde's ass a spank, only to shrug and point to the crowds when Kendall turned and gave him an accusing glare.

"There he is!" James said suddenly, pointing towards the bar. "Well, I'm pretty sure . . ."

"No, you're right." Kendall stared over, biting his lip thoughtfully. "Okay, let's go over."

"What?!" James's jaw dropped. "You wanna just go over and—"

"Come on!"

James followed, a strong feeling in his gut that this would be a very bad idea.

"Hi," Kendall said slyly, sliding onto the bar stool next to Wayne's in one smooth, fluid movement. James sat on Kendall's other side, slightly (or more than slightly) apprehensive about what the blonde might be planning. "I haven't seem you around here before. My names's Drew."

Drew. Huh. It was believable. James decided at that moment that his fake name would be Kurt (because come on, who didn't wanna be called that?!) should the time come that he needed it. Then he saw Kendall's forefinger sliding down this man's bicep and felt his blood boil. _Excuse me 'Drew', but who has saved you on countless occasions? Plus, we all know my biceps are better!_

"Are you a regular here?" Wayne was asking, smiling just as flirtatiously back at him.

"Mhm." Kendall bit his lip, batting his eyelashes just enough. "It's my favourite club." His voice lowered slightly. "They even have rooms at the back. I meet all the best guys here."

"Am I next on that list?"

"Depends. Do you wanna be?"

"Hmm. I think I do." Wayne's eyes left Kendall for a second and focused on James. "What about your friend?"

"He'll get lost." Kendall spun around in his stool and turned to stare at James with hard eyes. "Won't you?"

James nodded, feeling what he could only describe as a knot in his throat. "Y-yeah, I guess I will."

"Awesome!" Kendall grinned, hopping up as Wayne did, the dark-haired man's arm looping tightly around his waist. "Come on, I'll show you where to go."

As they walked away, Kendall glanced over his shoulder briefly and gave James a quick wink. James honestly had no idea what he was supposed to make of this. Was Kendall seriously gonna go off and ride the dick of the guy they were supposed to capture?! He didn't seem the type, considering he was so uptight with all of James's advances. And James was hotter.

Yep, definitely hotter.

_"Hey, James? I'm looking at you from by the door, where's Kendall?"_

James's finger snapped up to his earpiece. "Um . . . he went off to fuck Wayne," he said at last, smiling sheepishly in the direction of where he assumed Logan was. He couldn't see him through the flashing lights or the throngs of people. "Or to pretend he was."

James heard a groan of exasperation from another voice, then suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Camille and Kelly standing behind him. Across the club, James could see Carlos and Logan approaching too. He supposed that they were now throwing subtlety out the window, considering Wayne had gone off with Kendall and was out of sight.

"Why did you let him go?!" Kelly demanded furiously. "That man could be dangerous!"

"Kelly, relax," Carlos sighed. "He's just a guy. At most he'll have a gun, or a knife. Kendall's got both of those, and probably more."

"Carlos is right," Camille smiled. "Kendall can take care of himself."

"I still don't wanna leave him alone though," Logan frowned. "Can we at least follow where he went and just, I dunno, hang around in case something happens?"

James quickly got up. "I saw where they went. Follow me!" _Stupid Drew. Who does he think he is, throwing himself at other people?! Rude._

Kendall shut the door of their chosen room firmly behind him, checking the hallway briefly for anyone who looked like they shouldn't be there. But it was all fine.

"Big beds here," Wayne commented, smirking as he eyed the king-sized bed with the large metal heard board.

"Uh huh." Kendall's arms wrapped around Wayne's middle as he lightly pressed his lips to the man's neck. "They're made for fucking."

"Well, who are we to waste them?" Wayne turned around, hands tightly gripping Kendall's hips as he pulled him forward. Kendall gave him a sultry grin, letting out an encouraging gasp when Wayne's hands wandered back to his ass and gave it a rough squeeze. Kendall, for a second as Wayne's tongue slid over his bottom lip, focused hard on trying to make sure that his gun was still strapped firmly to his lower leg under the conveniently baggy ends of his jeans. It was; he could feel the cool, hard surface of it pressed lightly against his skin.

He pushed Wayne back, giving him a little wink and anther bat of his eyelashes. "How _amazing_," emphasising tha word just enough, not too much, "are you gonna make me feel?" he asked softly, turning them both so his back was to the bed and walking backwards, sitting on the mattress and scooting back. He knew, that even though he wasn't blocking the door, if Wayne tried to run he'd still get him. He never missed. Not once.

He moved a hand down and stretched up his legs as if he was going to remove his boots. Wayne's eyes watched him hungrily, his tongue darting out to lick his lip. Then, after taking one deep breath to compose himself, Kendall's hand darted under the hem of his jeans, found the strap around his leg and he pulled his handgun out, pointing it up at where Wayne stood. It all happened in under two seconds.

Wayne's eyes widened for a seocnd then, he scowled and gave a long sigh. "I see we've got ourselves a little problem." He glared daggers in Kendall's direction. "Seems a bit catty. Luring someone off to a bedroom with you only to blow their brains out. You sure that's wise? I could be any kind of dangerous bastard that you don't wanna mess with."

"I guess you could be." Kendall pointed the gun directly on his chosen spot on Wayne's forehead. "Thing is, I've got you stuck now, haven't I? Don't more or I'll shoot."

"Will you, now?" Wayne raised his eyebrows, moving to fold his arms." And why should I believe you?"

"Why shouldn't you? And keep those hands where I can see them," Kendall snapped, eyes narrowed.

Wayne chuckled, moving his hands above his head. "You got it, sweetheart." Then his jaw clenched as his fists did, and Kendall suddenly heard a loud creak from behind him.

Kendall shrieked in pain when the metal bars from the headboard coiled around his arms, yanking him backwards until his back slammed against the headboard, another metal bar curling around his chest and squeezing tightly, his breath catching in his throat. He still held the gun in his hand. But he couldn't point it anywhere anymore except at the wall on his right. Who the heck was this guy?

"What did you just do?!" Kendall demanded, trying not to sound frightened as he struggled hopelessly with the metal bounds. "What are you?!"

"What am I? Oh." Wayne chuckled, moving to kneel at the foot of the bed. He was out of reach when Kendall tried to lash out and kick him, to the blonde's disappointment. "I think a better question is, what are you? CIA? Just a cop? Or are you just some random little slut who tried to get in bed with me?"

Kendall gritted his teeth, trying to breathe properly. It was difficult with the metal around his chest tightening a little more every second. "If I was that last one, I wouldn't have pulled a gun on you, would I?"

"Maybe not. Maybe you're just crazy."

Wayne had scooted a little closer, so Kendall lashed out with his foot again and tried to strike the steel toe of his boot into the man's chest. But Wayne dodged, his eyes narrowed and suddenly Kendall couldn't breathe at all, the metal sliding up to press tightly against his throat. He tried to gasp and swallow more air into his lungs, writhing weakly against the headboard as black spots started to swim in his vision. "You're still hot," Wayne commented, a dark smile on his face as he watched Kendall choke and struggle for air. "Guess this is a good day after all."

Then suddenly the door burst open. Wayne spun around with wide eyes, but there was no one there. And even as Kendall started to black out, he felt a faint trace of a smile spread on his lips. With the last little breath he could take in, he exhaled softly, "Game over."

James blasted Wayne across the room in a fit of rage, chest heaving. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kelly, Camille, Carlos an Logan following him into the room, ready to attack. As Wayne had been slammed into the wall, lying there with a groan of pain, the metal over Kendall's throat seemed to loosen tightly, though he was still bound to the bed. He let out a strangled gasp as he took it the air he'd been deprived off, coughing and choking weakly. "Cam," he called shakily, waving the hand that held the gun. "Catch." He let it slip from his fingers, Camille stretched her hand out, and the weapon flew into the palm of her hand. She moved to point it at Wayne, stepping closer to him. "Sit up. Don't even think about trying anything."

Wayne did as she said, sitting up begrudgingly and putting his hands on his head. "Are you all from the same little clique?" he snarled. "What the fuck did I do?"

"That's what we wanna find out," Camille replied with a smile. She half glanced at Kelly. Kelly's eyes narrowed, Wayne's eyes rolled back in his had and he slumped over, unconscious.

"Camille," Kendall called, voice stronger now. "A little help?"

"I didn't know you were telekinetic," Logan commented, smiling in admiration. "I thought you were just like Kendall."

"A lot of people think that. I prefer it that way." Camille grinned. "Gives me an element of surprise, you know?" She moved over to Kendall, before working on moving the metal bars from around him.

"I guess that guy isn't what we thought," James sighed, eyeing where Wayne lay with disdain. "What are we gonna do with him?"

"We'll get Dak to come and pick us up," Kendall replied softly, standing up with one hand moving to rub his other arm where he'd been held down, his face scrunching up slightly in pain.

"Are you alright?" James asked quickly. "He didn't hurt you, did he? I-I mean, besides choking you with—"

"I'm fine," Kendall replied firmly, silencing James's babbling. But he gave him a warm smile before taking out his phone. "I'll get Dak to pull over outside. We can take Wayne out through the back door."

"Is there a back door?"

"Well, that's for you to find out." Kendall pushed Carlos towards the door of the room and left him to it. "Who's gonna carry him?"

"I'll do it!" James grinned, moving forward and hoisting Wayne's limp, heavy body over his shoulder with ease, his biceps bulging. He gave Kendall a smirk and a wink, causing him to roll his eyes and look away, moving on to call Dak and give him instructions.

James sighed mournfully. _Well, so much for that. _

"I found the back door," Carlos announced, walking back in. "Nobody's around. We can get out now without any trouble if we move quickly."

"Okay, we'll do that." Kendall turned to James. "You can carry him, right?"

"Of course!" James scoffed. "Have you not seen my arms?"

Kendall gave a small smile, cheeks flushing just a little as his gaze drifted away.

"Yeah, I guess I have . . ." He cleared his throat suddenly, seeming to shake himself out of his daze. "Alright, let's get going."

* * *

James's head spun sharply as the shower door opened, steam drifting out and dampening the walls of the surrounding room. Kendall was walking out of the showers, nothing but a pair of little boxer briefs on his slim body. He was drying his hair with a towel, and James noticed, the tan had been scrubbed completely from his skin. He was back to his naturally sexy self.

"I can see you looking," Kendall commented, disappearing for a second into a cubicle on James's right, but leaving the door open.

James heard the cracking of leather fabric and glanced over to see Kendall walking out again, pulling up his tight suit and sipping it up the front, as far as his collarbone. He tied his belt of equipment around his tiny waist and let it sit there on his hips. "Is that such a bad thing?" James asked innocent as Kendall sat next to him and started putting on his boots. "You didn't seem to mind."

"You're so full of it," Kendall chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Full of what?" James teased. "Handsome?"

"Nope."

"Perfection?"

"Wrong again."

"Well then, I'm totally stumped. You're gonna have to give me a hint."

"You'll figure it out on your own." Kendall stretched, lithe body flexing and the light from the bulbs in the ceiling catching a shiny buckle on his belt. "But for now, let's get going. I think they're gonna start the interrogation soon."

James waited a second or two before getting up and following Kendall out of the room. He couldn't help the smile on his face as he watched the blonde walk down the hall, that leather just . . . pretty much flattering absolutely everything.

_Please must notice me already. Come on, it's not that difficult. _

**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**New chapter. Enjoy :P**

Kendall and James walked down the hallway. "Where are we going?" James asked at last.

"To go watch Wayne's interrogation," Kendall answered, turning a corner. "Come on, Camille said they'd be down here in Interrogation A."

There were two doors, side by side, both with Interrogation A written above them. James was about to open the door on the left when Kendall shot forward and grabbed his wrist. "Ow!" James squeaked indignantly.

"That's where they're interrogating him, genius."

"We'll sorry, I'm not an expert." James turned and glanced down at where Kendall's hand still held his wrist. He smirked at the blonde, who blushed and yanked his hand back before turning and opening the other door. He walked inside. James followed him in and saw Logan, Carlos and Camille all sitting at a table. Kendall and James sat down with them, side by side. Across from them, James saw a large window that covered half of the entire wall. Through it, he saw a table with two chairs on one side, and one on the other. Kelly was sitting in one chair.

"Why is she there?" James asked Kendall.

"So she can control Wayne if he tries to do what he did to me," Kendall replied quietly. James suddenly noticed that he had some nasty bruises on his neck. But if he was in pain, he didn't show it. "It's one way glass," he continued. "So he can't hear and see us, but we can hear and see him."

"Nifty. I approve."

Kendall nodded at him.

"They're starting," Logan said suddenly, sitting up straighter and paying more attention. Two men had entered the room next door, with Wayne between them, hands cuffed. They sat him down in the single chair. Then Gustavo walked in with Lucy and sat down, while she stood by his side.

"How chivalrous," Carlos commented dryly.

Camille just shrugged. "Lucy's a toughie; she can take care of herself."

"Okay, let's start," Gustavo said at last. "You were going to meet with an ally for Hawk. Who was it?"

Wayne clamped his lips shut and said nothing.

"Alright, let's try something else. Explain how you can do what you did back in that club."

At first, James thought Wayne was going to stay silent for this question too. But at last he sighed and replied moodily, "It's a mutation."

"A genetic mutation?"

"Yes."

"How long have you had it?"

"As long as I can remember. It's kept me on the outside. Sometimes when I was younger, I couldn't control it."

Kendall frowned, looking thoughtful. James glanced at him in confusion. What was he thinking?

Ugh, he was so cute.

"And is that why Hawk hired you to meet an ally?"

Wayne shrugged. "He never told me why." He paused. "Look . . . if I give you information, can I go? In my defence, that other one attacked me with a gun! It was self-defence!"

"There's a certain line you can cross where that cancels itself out," Lucy snapped at him. But she glanced at Gustavo and tapped him on the shoulder. "Maybe it's worth considering . . .? He doesn't know enough to go giving Hawk useful details, not really . . ."

"He knows who our team are."

"No, he only knows what they can do. And doesn't even have a great understanding."

Wayne just stared blankly at them the whole time. Finally Gustavo sighed, grumbled, "Fine," and said to Wayne, "If you tell us everything you know, you can leave. No charges, no imprisonment."

Wayne's face lot up. "Awesome!"

"Okay, now tell us who you were meeting!"

Wayne at last said, "His name is Jett. I don't have a last name."

"And, who is he?"

"Hawk didn't tell me, but what I know about him is that he's got some kind of mutation too. A different one, obviously. I think it's something to do with mind control."

"Mind control? Like a telepathic kind of thing?"

Wayne shook his head. "No, like actual wipes your memories and controls you like a puppet mind control. I think he's got some kind of high-class machinery too, I dunno what for. But real science-fiction kind of stuff."

"Why did Hawk recruit you?"

"He found me through my mutation. He might have found others like me too, but I've never met them."

Logan let out a small gasp. The others turned to him. "Those girls," he said softly. "Remember, at Kelly's apartment?"

"And mind control!" Kendall exclaimed, eyes wide. "That must've been what happened to her! Jett must've done his mind control thing on her, he got her to ambush us!"

"Makes sense," Carlos nodded. "Should we tell Gustavo?"

"When he's finished with Wayne," Camille replied, eyes still on the interrogation. "Maybe that'll help him in tracking Jett down."

"There must be some way for him to control people's minds," James said at last. "He must have to be in close range, right. Otherwise he could control anyone in here. And I think people would've realised it by now, they have that strange look in their eyes."

"Good thinking," Kendall smiled. "Congrats."

"Thank you." James winked. "Babe."

"Let it go!"

"I will never let it go."

"Awww," Logan cooed. When the rest of the room glanced at him, he clamped his lips shut and looked away.

"Hey, they're done," Camille said suddenly, pointing. "One of you should go tell them what you know about Kelly and those girls—"

"I'll do it," Kendall said quickly, standing up. "Carlos, you come too? A second opinion could be useful."

"Sure, I'll just wait here!" James called sarcastically after him as the door shut.

Logan sat down in the chair net to him, smirking. "Wow, you've got it bad."

"Huh?"

"Kendall, I mean."

James laughed. "Logan, I don't 'get it bad'. I have flings. I like hot asses and hot mouths—"

"And Kendall."

"He's got both of those."

"Mhm." Logan smirked. "And a leather catsuit. Plus he's got big green eyes and dimples and a killer instinct that's both frightening and a total turn-on, right?"

". . . Nope," James squeaked.

"So he doesn't have those things?"

"Well, he does, but . . . look, what does it matter? He thinks I'm an idiot. Which means I'll never get laid," he added on quickly.

"Yup, I'm sure that's what you're worried about . . ."

"What would you know anyway?!"

"A lot more than you think. I understand perfectly."

James scoffed at him, rolling his eyes.

"He's right, James."

"Huh?!" James gaped at Camille. "What are you talking about?!"

Camille gave an idle shrug, moving to sit with them. "Well, Logan's right. Obviously you do have feelings for Kendall. I pick up on these things. And it's not just sex. You like him."

"So what?"

"Do something about it!"

James nodded unconvincingly. "I would've thought you lot would be all for professional relationships only, or whatever. And that's what we have, I guess . . ."

"Hey, we're not co-workers. We're allies. Friends, even." Camille grinned. "Besides, I'm all for romance! I'm quite a chick-flick lover."

"Like I said, he thinks I'm an idiot."

"Because sometimes James, you act like an idiot," Logan said bluntly.

James scowled at him. "My point is," Logan continued. "Obviously you need to show him you can be more mature if necessary. I bet you'll grow on him then; right now he might think you can't take anything seriously."

"But, I took it seriously when Wayne hurt him," James argued. Then realised what he'd said and covered his mouth. Damn.

Camille laughed. "There we go, he admitted something!"

"Shut up!"

The door opened and the three of them did shut up, immediately. Kendall and Carlos walked back in with Kelly. "We talked to him, explained what we saw, " Carlos said briefly, sitting back down. "He told us just to stay in the building while he gets his men to work on tracking Jett down."

"Why can't we do that?!" Logan whined. "We never do anything fun!"

"We don't have the experience or the equipment at our disposal," Kendall explained patiently. "Well, Camille and I do. But not the rest of you, and I guess they want us to stick together."

"That seems smart," James spoke up after feeling Logan nudge him. "This way, if there's any kind of attack, we have strength in numbers. Right?"

"Right," Kendall replied, giving him a surprisingly warm smile. "You're learning."

James nodded, unable to resist giving him a wink. "You bet I am."

Kendall's cheeks flushed and he looked away, beginning a conversation with Camille. Logan smirked at James, and somehow he felt like he'd done something right. They sat in that room for a while, just talking. But James realised, despite how much they chatted, he didn't really know much about Kendall or Camille at all. They seemed to withhold so much information automatically, saying trivial things about what sports they liked and what movies they'd seen, but nothing about where they were from, and their families and friends. Logan and Carlos and Kelly had no problem sharing these kind of details. It was strange.

Maybe it just came with being the kind of agents they were, where everything they did was sneaky and secretive. And any information their enemy got could be used to hurt them.

He wondered what it would be like to live like that. And decided he didn't want to find out. He'd never been great at hiding things.

After what seemed like hours, which it probably was, Lucy walked in to see them. "Go to the conference room. We wanna speak to you there." Then she left, saying nothing else.

"She's so warm and polite," Logan murmured in Carlos's ear as they headed to where they were told.

They all sat down around the table, Gustavo standing there and watching them. "Good, you're all here. I don't need you to stay in the building anymore."

"So, you're sending us out to do something useful?" Kelly asked hopefully.

"Nope."

"What?!" The disappointment and outrage reverberated around the room. Gustavo and Lucy ignored it.

"I want you all to lay low," Gustavo instructed. "Go about your business; you're tourists, you're renting an apartment, I don't care. Keep an eye out while we figure this stuff out."

"So, that's it? We're leaving?" Carlos gawked at him. "Um . . ."

"You're not leaving permanently. We want to find out more about Jett and about these other mutations. And we want our agents to do it. Not you."

"What the hell is the point of even having us?!" Carlos demanded angrily. "We don't do anything! Why is it you sent us to do CIA work but won't let us do this! I'm tired of fucking sitting around and—"

"Calm down!" Lucy snarled at him. "You're gonna catch fire!"

"Catch fire?!" James turned to see a flame flickering up Carlos's wrist. Carlos gave an angry sigh and just shook it out, trying to calm himself down.

"I'm sorry," Gustavo sighed. "But this is the way I'm running things. And I know normally this is the kind of thing you two would do," he glanced at Kendall and Camille, "But I don't want either of you getting exposed. The thing is, if I keep you out of the picture, the impact you make will be so much stronger. They won't see it coming."

James, begrudgingly, kind of agreed with him.

"So, go. Go change, go out into the world. Be careful, blah blah blah."

James changed into the jeans and t-shirt he'd left in the building on his first day. Camille didn't change, but she didn't wear anything out of place anyway. Carlos changed, Logan changed, Kelly changed. Kendall didn't. "I don't have anything with me," he shrugged. "I haven't been here in months."

James turned and glanced st the others. They were all walking down the hallway, chatting about where they were going to go. Logan and Carlos were going to go stay in a hotel. Camille was going to visit a friend. He looked back at Kendall and offered, with as casual an expression as he could manage, "Wanna stay with me? You can borrow some clothes."

Kendall's eyes widened. "I'm not sure . . ."

"It was just a suggestion," James shrugged. "No biggie . . ." But of course, he was disappointed. He turned to go.

"Wait."

He turned around and saw Kendall at a locker that seemed to belong to him. He typed in a code and did a fingerprint check before opening it up. He took off the belt of equipment from around his waist and put it away, but took his smallest gun and stuffed it into his boot, along with the knife he already kept there. He firmly locked the locker again before turning to James and giving a small smile. "I guess that's an offer I'd be dumb to refuse. I've got nowhere else to stay."

"And this is completely free," James chuckled as they walked down the hallway. "If anyone in my building asks, you can say you were at a costume party."

"Relax, James." Kendall smirked up at him. "I'm an assassin. I've got this on the bag."


End file.
